Farewell to Greg & Dana Crowe from Stonnington Community Uniting Church

Re-published with permission from Dick Carter’s farewell address at the Celebration of the Crowes’ ministry, January 2024

The time has come for us to say “farewell” to Greg and Dana. I, and I dare say, all present have not been looking forward to the conclusion of the “era of Greg” at what is now Stonnington Community UC.

The “Era of Greg”

This “era of Greg” has been quite unusual by many standards. First, it is almost unheard of in the Uniting Church for a congregation to recall a minister who had previously been in placement with that congregation as we did. On top of that, at the conclusion of ten years in his second placement it was extended for up to five further years. It is because the end of that extension period has drawn near that Greg is now moving on.

Making the decision in 2009 to recall Greg to ministry here was something the Joint Nominating Committee at the time wrestled with for quite a while. We were conscious that we had moved on during the seven years since Greg had left us to serve as the Chaplain at the Juvenile Justice Centre. We expected that he had moved on too so it would not just be a simple matter of taking up the reins where we left off in 2003. In the final event, we now know that the decision has been very beneficial to the congregation and, I think, to Greg too.

Greg’s effect on shaping the congregation

Greg has had an enormous effect on shaping the congregation to the form it takes today. During his first period at Ewing Memorial Uniting Church, he invited us to consider other ways of being Christian rather than simply following the traditional orthodoxy of the UCA. This led us intentionally to search for a minister with progressive Christian leanings to take us further on our progressive journey. We were fortunate to find Rev John Smith who did just that in the five years he was our minister.

Greg’s return

On Greg’s return to us he continued his efforts at reform and not just with our congregation. Early in the piece Ewing was at the centre of an attempt to get the five Uniting Church congregations in the Stonnington area to collaborate more closely with each other. Greg invested a great deal of emotional energy into this effort & he was bitterly disappointed when it came to naught. In the ultimate, the attempt did bear some fruit and the effort of amalgamating the Malvern East and Ewing congregations in 2015 to form Stonnington Community Uniting Church was certainly eased by it.

Greg’s Christian development and strengths

Greg’s own progressive Christian development has also continued and that process has been aided by two visits to the United States. This has been of great benefit to us as we have accompanied him on this journey too. We now are confident to proclaim our progressive Christian convictions which is reflected in our theology, the less formal approach to our services and in other ways.

Another of Greg’s strengths is the pastoral care and support he has given us. He has also shared this Christian practice in the wider community, particularly with people who are grieving. I suspect that it is his loving care which will be the thing that many of us will miss.

Serving the wider church

He has also faithfully served the wider church in many ways. He was for several years Chair of what was then Synod’s Commission for Mission, served on Presbytery committees, and has had a close and continuing relationship with the Victorian division of the UC Aboriginal & Islander Congress. Sadly, some of his efforts in the wider church have not always been appreciated in the way they deserved to be.

Unheralded effort

We are about to receive a considerable shock when we find out how much unheralded effort Greg has put in behind the scenes which we will now have to do ourselves. Setting up the church for services, funerals, lunches, working the audio/visual set up we have, & much more. He and Dana have actually set up today’s celebration. When we protested that it shouldn’t be his job to organise his own farewell he replied, “I will do it one last time as part of my parting thanks and blessing the space”. He did add that we can handle the cleaning up though!

The quiet efforts of Dana Crowe

Greg is one half of a great duo. He has been lovingly supported by Dana who herself has quietly done much work for the congregation without drawing attention to herself. Her work in the church garden has been wonderful and so has the rehabilitation of the manse garden. All this she has done without being asked and having no expectation of applause. The “bears exhibitions” she curated in the church narthex during the COVID lock down periods brought joy to many including in the neighbouring community. Dana we will miss your friendship very sorely.

Farewell Greg and Dana! You will always be welcome among us when opportunities arise, and we will continue to carry you in our hearts while life and breath lasts.

Dick Carter